Variable density goggle



JI-me 1947. D. P. BERNHEIM ETAL 2,422, 87

VARIABLE DENSITY GOGGLE Filed m 4, 1942 Sh'eets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DHNIELI? BEENHE/M EDWARD M. SPLHIIYE- June 17, 1947. D, P, BERNHEIM EYTAL2,422,287

VARIABLE DENSITY comma Filed May 4, 1942 .4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORMAI/EL R8E2NHEIM spawn-o M- \SPLAINE- June 17, 1947.

D. P. BERNH EIM ETAL VAR-IABLE DENSITY GOGGLE Filed May 4, 1942 4Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MAI/EL Ram/vHe/M "Patented June 17, 1947 VAWLEDENSITY GOGGLE Daniel P. Bernheim and Edward M. Splaine,

Southbridge, Mass.,

assignors to American Optical Company, Southbridgc, Mssa, a voluntaryassociation of Massachusetts Application May 4, Hi2, Serial No. 441,644

7 Claims. i This invention pertains to improvements in optical mountingsand has particular reference to optical mountings for polarizing light.

-. A primary object of the invention is to provide I novel improvedmeans for adapting optical mountings to the angle or line ofpolarization of incident light and to vary the overall lighttransmission of the light transmitting medium.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for varyingthe density of light transmission by novel means of rotating certain ofthe lenses.

7 Another object of the invention is to provide novelimproved means inan optical mounting for polarizing light. A further object of theinvention is to provide a variable density light polarizing gogglewhereby the light density control may be quickly and easily manipulatedfor determining the desired degree of light transmission. Another objectof the invention is to. provide a novel construction of goggle of theabove character whereby the parts may be quickly and easily assembledwith each other with said parts being removable in a simple manner forcleaning and repairing said goggle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a goggle of the classdescribed having mechanical ,means for locating the axis of the lensesto facilitate the replacement of said lenses at the desired polarizingaxis.

A further object of the invention is to provide a goggle utilizing aface mask with novel means for securing the face mask to a groove in therear of the front to obtain a securelight elimi-. hating connectionbetween the front and the COVER.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lens assembly with anovel means of providing suit-able frictional means between the lenseswithin the optical mounting and to provide a in the accompanying claims,it is therefore not desired to limit the invention to the exact mattersshown and described for the preferred forms only have been shown anddescribed by way of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the optical mounting with certain parts showndotted to indicate the connecting and aligning means of the variousparts.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the optical mounting shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the .optical mounting shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the clamping ring for securing the front eyecup portions of the goggle face mask portions in its respective groovesin the back rings on the reverse side of the front of the opticalmounting.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 5-! of Fig.1.

Fig. 61s a rear view of the front plate showing the lenses in position,with the link and control arm disposed within their-respectivecountersunk or recess portions, with a countersunk portion for the backplate.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, partially broken away,

taken along lines of Fig. 1 showing the back ring aligning means.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view, partly broken away, taken along lines 8-8 ofFig. 1 showing the means for securing the back ring to the front plate.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along lines 9--9 of Fig. 1 showing themeans for securing the spring washer to the back ring.

Fig. 10'is a sectional view taken along lines lO-ili of Fig. 1 showingthe link and control arm in relation to the control arm stud.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken along lines ll-Il of Fig. l to showthe means of securing the back 'plate to the front plate.

Fig. 12 is a plan-view of the front lenses in proper position to bemounted in the front plate as disclosed in Fig. 6.

Fig. 13 is a rear view of the back plate with the link and control armshown partially dotted disposed on the opposite side thereof.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the rear rotatable 3 lenses in proper positionto be mounted in the front plate as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken along lines |5-i5 of Fig. 6 showingthe front lens positioning means for locating the lens in properrelation within the front plate.

Fig. 16 is a sectional View, partly broken away, taken along lines i6-|6of Fig. 6 showing the link member in position, with a section of theback plate shown in Fig. 13 being added.

Referring to the ,drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, agoggle 20 is shown having the front 2|, which front is secured to agoggle face mask 22 by means of clamping rings 23 A suitable headband 29is provided having buckles 30 on the opposing ends thereof which engageclips 3| of the face mask 22. .The headband 28 may be adjustable toprovide various lengths of the headband per se and is preferably made ofresilient materialsuch as elastic or rubber. The clips 3| of theheadband engage headed pins 32, which pins are secured to a lug 33 ofthe ventilator 34, which ventilator is secured to the sides of thegoggle by means of pins 35. The front 2| and the eye cup portions 38 ofthe face mask 22 are secured together by means of clamping rings 23. Acontrol knob 31 is rotatably connected with the lens assembly within thegoggle and is pivotally connected to the front 2| for controlling themechanism of the front assembly.

Fig. 6 shows the front 2| havi'ng rear lenses 80 and two front lenses 5iand 52 therein, which front lenses rest on the shoulder 53. The front 2|is a unitary one-piece structure molded with recesses to permit movementof the various parts. Figs. 6 and may be considered together for thepurpose of showing the depth of the various recesses and a dispositionof the control mechanism which is movabl connected with the front 2|.The control arm 54 is connected to the stud 55, which stud is pivotallymounted in the front 2|. A link 56 is pivotally connected by a pin 51 tothe control arm 54.

The section taken on lines l6|8 (Fig. 6) of the end of the link is shownin Fig. 16 with the link 56 having a protuberance 58 on the lower endthereof which fits in the slot 59 of the rear lens 88, which slot 59 isshown dotted in Fig. 6. Referring to the depth of the recesses shown inFigs. 6 and 10, the control arm recess Si is deepest as shown by theback wall 62, in Fig. 10. The link recess 63 is not quite so deep as therecess 8|, as is shown by the back wall 84. The recess 65 is shownhaving a back wall 66. The back wall 66 supports the outer ends of theback plate 67, which back plate is shown in Fig. 13. The depth of therecess 68 is the same depth as to retain the control arm 54 in fixedposition on the stud 55. A screw 14 fits into the control knob 81, withthe screw 14 being threadedly connected to the stud to hold said studand knob in position. After the front lenses 5| and 52' are properlyplaced in the front 2|, the rear lenses 56 are then placed into positionso that the protuberance 58 fits into the rear lens slots 59 (slots 66generally) with the marks 12 scratched on the lenses to show an aligningaxis being disposed vertically as shown in Fig. 14, when the link arm isin the positionshown in Fig. 6. It will be seen that the rear lenses maynow be moved back and forth by the manipulation of the control knob 37.The lens spacer 15, shown in Fig. 16. fits between the stationary frontlenses, and the movable back lenses and is disposed about the edges ofthe adjacent lenses to permit relative movement of the lenses.

After the front and back lenses are placed in the front 2|, with therear lenses having the protuberances 58 of the link 63 engagin the slotin the rear lenses, the back plate 67, as shown in Fig. 13, is thenplaced into position over the control mechanism and secured thereon. Thethree countersunk holes 18, shown in the back plate 87, (Fig. 13), arealigned with the threaded metal inserts 11 (Figs. 6 and 11) which areembedded in the front 2 I toreceive the back plate connecting screws 18also shown dotted in Fig. 1. The two lower holes 18' shown in the backplate 8| are aligned with their respective metal inserts H in the front2 I. The holes I8 are clearance holes in the back plate 61 to permit theback ring screws 81 to pass through the clearance holes 78' in the backplate, in much the same manner as is shown in Fig. 8 wherein the screw81 is shown spaced from the cross sectional portion of the back plate61. The pins 19, shown in Figs. 13 and 16; are connected to the link 58and ride on the camming surface 80 so that the protuberances 58 willremain in the slots 59 when one of the back lenses is removed as may bethe casewhen cleaning or repairing said goggle.

Fig. 9 shows the spring washer 8| being secured to the back ring 49 bymeans of a drive pin 82. Recesses 83, shown in Figs. 9, 6, and 1,recelve the protuberance 84 of the spring washer 8| and. the head of thepin 82. The spring washer is used to give a proper frictional tensionbetween the lenses when the back ring 49 is secured in the recess 65,said recess 68 receives the lower end of the plate 61.

Fig. 15 shows a sectional view taken along lines |5|5 of Fig. 6 whichshows the slot 69 in the front lens 5|. A molded projection 18 is formedas part of the plastic front and is a positioning means for aligning thelens. A molded projection 1| shown in Fig. 6 is similar to theprojection 10 but placed above the center of the lens for properalignment of the front lens 52. The front lenses 5| and 52 are shown inFig. 12 having marks 12 thereon to show the aligning axis of the lensesin relation to the slots 69 inthe lenses.

Inassembling the mounting, the front 2| has the control arm 54 connectedto the back of the stud 55, which stud is rounded to form a head 18workin position to the front 2|.

In Fig. 7, the independent back rings 49 have protuberances 85 onopposite sides thereof, which protuberances fit into the holes 88 showndotted in Fig. 1. The protuberances 85 on the back ring 49 act aspositioning pins so that the back ring 48 will have the proper alignmentfor connecting the screws 81 (Fig. 8) to the threaded inserts 88, whichinserts are embedded in the front 2|. The screws 81 are shown in Fig. 1,with the screws 8i passing through the apertures 88 as shown in the rearplate 61 in Fig. 13 so that the screws 81 engage their respectivethreaded metal inserts 88.

The eye cup portions 38 of the goggle face mask 22 are used to compressthe forward edges of the In Figs. 12 and 14, the marks 12 are scratchedat the ends of a horizontal diameter where the lens is so rotated as togive the maximum absorption for light reflected from a horizontalvitreous surface at its polarizing angle. Wherever the term axis ofpolarization is used in this specification, it means the diameterreferred to above. That is, the front lenses would be so disposed as toafford a maximum reduction in glare when the goggle is in normalposition on the face of an individual.

The front and rear lenses are all identical in relation to the slots 69and the marks 12 so that it becomes merely a. matter of proper placementof the lenses in their respective positions when mounted in the goggle.

The two lenses shown in Fig. 12 represent the positioning of the frontlenses as shown when mounted from the rear of the goggle as presented inFig. 6. The slots 69 are disposed thirty degrees from the maximumpolarizing axis indicated by the marks 12 on each lens. The left lenshas the notch 69 on the left side thereof below the maximum polarizingaxis, while the right lens 52 has the notch 69 disposed on the rightside of the lens so that it is thirty degrees above the maximumpolarizing axis. In obtaining the positioning of the right lens,assuming all of the lenses are properly stacked according to the maximumpolarizing axis, the right lens must not be turned over, but must bemerely rotated from the position shown by lens to the position shown bylens 52, in Fig. 12.

The rear lenses shown in Fig. 14 must also be rotated until they assumethe position shown in Fig. 14. When the front and rear lenses areproperly mounted as shown in Figs. 12 and 14 respectively, it will beseen that the maximum polarizing axes are at right angles to each other.Whe in this position, a minimum amount of light is transmitted throughthe lens series in each eye cup so that maximum density results. Thedegree of movement of the rear lenses is approximately sixty degreeswhich is about two-thirds of the distance from full maximum density .tofull minimum density.

The full ninety degrees of the rear lens rotation, if desirable, may beprovided by allowing thirty more degrees opmovement of the lenses inconstruction of the goggle. However, for the type of work for which thegoggles are primarily 6 mounting so, that the glasses will be properlyoperative when assembled. The camming surface 80 is a guide means forthe pin 1!, Figs. 13 and 16, so that when one of the rear lenses isremoved the protuberance for the other lens will not become dislodgedfrom its slot 69 in the lens.

When properly assembled. a simple rotation of the knob 31 will cause thelenses to be rotated from the maximum to. the minimum mechanicalpositions. While other methods of rotating the lenses have been providedsuch as by gearing. the present disclosure presents a variable densitygoggle that is readily manipulated by a lever action of the knobcontrolled link 56. The alignment of the front lenses therefore makesthe goggle normally an anti-glare goggle, while the movable lenses incombination with the stationary lenses provide variable density of thelight transmitted therethrough.

It will be noted that the spacer 15 between the front and rear lensespermits a rotating of the rear lenses, while the crinkle spring at whichengages the rear of the back lens is held in position by two screws, butthe back ring 49, when assembled, also presses against the crinklespring 8| in such a manner as to provide an even pressure on the backlens so as to result in a smooth operation of the quick acting knobcontrolled lever arrangement for rotating the lenses.

The front 2| as well as the back ring 49 are made of plastic so that thevarious slots and positioning means for the back ring and the frontlenses are molded in their respective positions saving valuable manhours in the manufacturing. The various recesses in the rear of ,theunitary front are molded in the plastic and consequently eliminate anymachining, which of necessity, would be required if the front were notmolded.

In, manufacturing the variable density face mask goggle as disclosedherein, the use of the sixty degree rotational movement of the rear fora ninety degree movement'of the lenses it was designed, it has beenfound that sixty degrees of rotation is sufllcient, and therefore thegoggle has been disclosed as having approximately sixty degrees ofrotational movement.

In Fig. 6, the link 56, shown in solid lines, is disposed for maximumdensity, while the link shown dotted has rotated the rear lenses onlythirty degrees away from the solid line position of the link, andtherefore the link 56 may be retated thirty degrees more to the right ofthe vertical center line of the lens.

The method of assembling the lenses in the mounting is extremelyimportant since in all cases the lenses must be rotated for the desiredposition as shown in Figs. 12 and 14, and must not be turned over. Thisfeature permits the lenses to be properly positioned in the front of thepearance.

necessary to build the goggle higher in front in order to obtainsufficient throw of the link-lever arrangement. The increase in heightof the front resulted in a curved peak on the top of the front that gavethe goggle a cumbersome ap- The increase of plastic material andmetallic parts with the lever and link arrangement materially added tothe cost of metals, plastic and shipping weight. By changing the designso that the rotational movement of the lenses was sixty degrees not onlywas the overall cost of the goggle reduced, and the appearanceimproved,v but the weight of the goggle was decreased whichnaturally'added to comfort when in use.

While the specification sets forth the use of a rigid front with theface mask havingindividual eye cup portions, it is apparent that therigid front may be used without a face mask portion so that the featuresof the variable density goggle may be used with headband connecteddirectly to the front. Further. the rigid front assembly may be aunitary structure for mounting in a military gas mask where a variabledensity goggle may be required. Accordingly, it is realized that thedisclosure presented herein is such that various features thereof may beincorporated in goggle utilizing equipment other than the specificshowing.

7 With the former types of rear lens rotational means, the flexible bandtype was subject to binding and lack of efficient operation due to dirt,

of the goggle for the purpose of production will greatly speed up themanufacture while retaining the desired characteristics of the goggleand provide a quick acting, positive operating variable density goggle.

Having described our invention, we claim:

1. In a face mask goggle, a unitary rigid front comprising a pair offront lenses, means for holding said front lenses against rotation. apair of rear lenses rotatably mounted in the unitary rigid front, spacermeans between the front and rear lens, spring means for frictionallyengaging the back lenses, link means pivotally connecting each of theback lenses, a rotatable knob located in the unitary front intermediatethe back lenses, and a lever arm havingone end thereof securelyconnected to the rotatable knob with the other end thereof pivotallyconnected to the link to cause rotation of the rear lenses, said linkand lever arm being located within a recess in the rigid front.

2. In a face mask goggle, a unitary front assembly comprising a unitaryfront for receiving a pair of front lenses, means for holding said frontlenses in fixed relation with the unitary front, a rear lens movablymounted in spacial relation with each of said front lenses, a rotatableknob mounted on the unitary front, a'link member connecting said rearlenses, a lever attached to said rotatable knob and connected to saidlink member intermediate the ends thereof, said link member and leverbeing positioned within a recess provided in the unitary front, acamming surface located adjacent each of the movable lenses, and pinmeans on opposite ends of the link to engage the camming surface toprevent one end of the link from becoming disassociated from itsrespective back lens when the other back lens is removed, and springmeans for frictionally engaging the back lenses.

3. In a face mask goggle, a unitary front assembly comprising a unitaryfront for receiving a pair of front lenses, means for holding said frontlenses in fixed relation with the unitary front, a rear lens movablymounted in spacial relation with each of said front lenses, a rotatableknob mounted on the unitary front, a link and lever arrangementconnecting the knob with each of the movable lenses, a recess in theunitary front for receiving the link and lever, and a cover plateconnected over said recess and link and lever assembly, a cammingsurface in the cover plate adjacent each end thereof, and pin means onopposite ends of the link to engage the camming surface to prevent oneend of the link from becoming disassociated from its respective backlens when the other back lens is removed.

4. In a face mask goggle, a unitary front assembly comprising a unitaryfront portion having spaced lens receiving portions, a pair of lenses ineach of said lens receiving portions, one in front of the other, meansfor holding said front lenses in fixed relation with said unitary front,means for supporting the rear lenses in spaced relation with saidfrontlenses, means rotatably supported by said unitary front intermediate thelenses, link means having end portions connected with the respectiverear lenses and a lever attached adjacent one end thereof to said meansrotatably supported by the unitary front and connected adjacent itsopposite end to said link means whereby rotation of said rotatable meanswill cause said lever to move the link means in said direction ofrotation and cause the said lenses connected with said link means to besimultaneously rotated, a recess in the unitary front for receiving thelink and lever, and a cover plate connected over said recess and linkand lever assembly.

5. In a face mask goggle having two eye cup portions, a rigid fronthaving a pair of spaced apertured lens receiving portions, a lens ineach of the apertured lens receiving portions, means for holding saidlenses against rotation, a second lens rotatably mounted in the lensreceiving portions rearwardly of the first lens, spacer means betweenthe front and rear lenses, link means pivotally connecting each of theback lenses, a rotatable knob located in the rigid front intermediatethe back lenses, and a lever arm having one end thereof fixedlyconnected to the rotatable knob with the other end thereof pivotallyconnected to the link -to cause rotation of the rear lenses in relationto the stationary front lenses, said link means and lever am beingpositioned within a recess in the unitary front and an inner ringrearwardly of the rear-lens secured to the rigid front, said inner ringbearing spring means for frictionally engaging the back lenses, andconnection means for securing the inner rings with the eye cup portionsof the face mask.

6. In a face mask goggle, a relatively rigid lens supporting structurewith spaced apertured lens receiving portions, a pair of lenses in eachof said apertured lens receiving portions, a pair of ringlike members,means for securing said ring-like.

members to said relatively rigid lens supporting structure with saidring-like members each having a portion overlying the respective lensesin the apertured lens receiving portions and functioning to retain saidlenses in said lens receiving portions, one of the lenses in each ofsaid lens receiving portions being held stationary and, a link and leverarrangement connected with the other of said lenses for connection witha rotatable knob, said rotatable knob being located on the lenssupporting structure and the link and lever arrangement being located ina recess within the said lens supporting structure, said lenses soconnected being operable thereby for rotating simultaneously relative tothe other of said lenses and connection means for securing the lenssupporting structure to a face engaging portion.

7. In a goggle, a relatively rigid lens supporting structure with spacedapertured lens receiving portions, a pair of lenses in each of saidapertured lens receiving portions, lens retaining means having a portionoverlying the respective lenses in the apertured lens receiving portionsand secured to the rigid lens supporting structure for retaining saidlenses in said lens receiving portion, one

of the lenses in each of said lens receiving portions being heldstationary and the other being rotatable, said relatively rigid lenssupporting structure having a recessed area with a continuous'front'wallportion intermediate the lenses posed to the continuous wall. a linkmember in said recessed area and interconnected with the rotatablelenses, a rotatable knob-like member pivotally connected to the lenssupporting structure with the pivot portion thereof communicating withthe recessed area and means riaidiv connected with said pivot portionand having a portion interconnected with the link member intermediatethe ends thereof and lying within the recessed area for impartingsimultaneous rotative movement to said rotatable lenses through therotation of said rotatable knob-like member.

nurnmcns The following references are of record in the file of thisPatent: 5 i

Number Bhindel May 22. 1928

